House of Councilors member Kotaro Tamura quit the Liberal Democratic Party on Friday, becoming the first lawmaker to do so since the party was ousted from almost half a century in power in August.
Tamura, 46, who is among the Upper House members whose terms expire next summer, may seek to join another party, possibly the ruling Democratic Party of Japan or the tiny Your Party, in pursuit of re-election, though sources have said he will remain independent for the time being.
"I don't think the current LDP can rescue the economy," Tamura said after submitting his letter of resignation. "I've decided nothing about the future."
Elected twice from Tottori Prefecture, Tamura had distanced himself from current LDP leader Sadakazu Tanigaki since he won the party presidency over a candidate Tamura supported.
After working as editor in chief at local newspaper Shin-Nihonkai Shimbun, Tamura was first elected in a 2002 by-election as an independent, but joined the LDP before his re-election in 2004.
Only last month the LDP's local chapter decided to nominate Tamura as its candidate for the Tottori constituency, where only one seat will be up for grabs in the next poll.
